Hiring Boats Take Over Time.

[Andrewcook]

As to Hiring Boats take over time some Boat Yards used to do early take over times . I've notice Barnes Brinks do it around 3. or 4 pm is because of Covid 19 or Staff being Pinged? Does this applies to the other  exciting Boat Yards? 

[Oddfellow]

Each yard will have it's own schedules to work to. There's a significant amount of work to do on a returning boat for a turn around, even assuming that there are no faults to repair and with a large fleet, that takes a lot of time and a lot of staff. Be assured that most of the handover staff will also be those who prepare boats, so if they're handing over boats early, they aren't preparing boats. 

In my experience, most yards work to a 3/4pm take over. Freedom always used to do a 2pm for short breaks, 4pm for weeks or longer and if the holiday was in GMT, 2pm across the board to ensure customers had enough light to get away from the yard and find a mooring before sunset. 

 

[vanessan]

10 minutes ago, Oddfellow said:

In my experience, most yards work to a 3/4pm take over.

In our hiring days, a while ago now admittedly, it was always 3 or 4pm. I used to phone the boatyard to see if we could take over any earlier and more often than not it was ok. I think a lot of people still do that although these Covid times have probably scuppered the idea to a large extent. 

[750XL]

We're down for a 1430 pickup at Herbert Woods, a bit earlier than usual being an 'elite' boat I believe

[andyg]

1 hour ago, 750XL said:

We're down for a 1430 pickup at Herbert Woods, a bit earlier than usual being an 'elite' boat I believe

Same here, you might be lucky and it could be earlier. I've booked a mooring at the 12.5%  inn for our first night hope we can make it. We did a trial run a couple of weeks ago. Took us 2.5 hours in one of there picnic boats, just hope we still have enough daylight 

[CambridgeCabby]

When we used to hire it was 15:00 pick up , except one wonderful year when the boatyard phoned us up the week before and told us the boat would be available a whole day early if we wished to collect it on the Thursday at no extra cost !!!!!

[CeePee1952]

3 hours ago, 750XL said:

We're down for a 1430 pickup at Herbert Woods, a bit earlier than usual being an 'elite' boat I believe

Same here!  We've got Sovereign Light for the first week in September and it's a 1430 hrs handover as opposed to I think a 1600 hrs handover for the "non-elite" range.

[Broads01]

4 hours ago, andyg said:

I've booked a mooring at the 12.5%  inn

Er, sorry if I'm being thick, but where?

[750XL]

18 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

Er, sorry if I'm being thick, but where?

The New Inn, Horning.

A reference to the 12.5% service fee 

[andyg]

5 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Er, sorry if I'm being thick, but where?

Apologies Simon, yes indeed the new Inn, I was trying to be sarcastic. Childish I know. 😁

[SwanR]

Pre-pandemic we’ve often had takeover time of 1-2pm. Richardson’s reception opened at 1. We were on a platinum range boat and often on a short break. 

NBD, Barnes and Ferry Marina were all a case of getting there, checking into the office and if the boat was ready you could get onboard and away after your handover.

Having said that we mostly hire in March and October so not so many boats going out. 

[YnysMon]

The last time we hired from Ferry Marina they called my mobile to let us know we could pick her up a couple of hours earlier. Mind you, that was an October hire too.

[tim]

I don't think I've ever picked a boat up later than 2.30 pm

We were given a 1.30 pm time in June on Pacific Princess and we have a 2 pm pick up in September on Pacific Star!

Not sure it sits well with me that you can have an earlier pick up if you hire an elite boat!

I think I'll stick with the smaller boatyards

[Mouldy]

19 minutes ago, tim said:

 . . . . . . . . . . . I think I'll stick with the smaller boatyards

It’s a shame that there’s so few left, too.

[SwanR]

1 hour ago, tim said:

Not sure it sits well with me that you can have an earlier pick up if you hire an elite boat!

No different to many holiday establishments. Caravan parks often do the same for higher paying customers in the more expensive vans. And Warner’s did similar. Earlier check in time with the more expensive rooms. You get what you pay for if you’re prepared to pay it. All part of the package. 

[tim]

It might be the norm in caravan parks and other places, but it doesn't change that it doesn't sit well with me

I would not use HW if they used the hire cost to 'grade' their customers

I doubt Richardsons do that, or maybe they do?

[750XL]

I don't see a problem with it, you're paying for a more premium product and getting a more premium service. "Early" check-in, welcome hamper, etc etc.

Absolutely no difference to buying a business class airline ticket and being allowed to board first etc.

[vanessan]

11 minutes ago, 750XL said:

I don't see a problem with it, you're paying for a more premium product and getting a more premium service. "Early" check-in, welcome hamper, etc etc.

Absolutely no difference to buying a business class airline ticket and being allowed to board first etc.

The airline situation came to my mind too. However, in the case of business class you are paying hundreds if not thousands of £s in extreme cases so should definitely expect more. I suppose it’s the same in many things these days, pay more and expect more.

[tim]

I'm not sure we want we want broad hire companies to behave like airlines!

However, all I said was it didn't sit well with me, I'm sure HW will get by without my custom, everyone has a choice and mine is a small independent, I get the pick up time I want and with a saving of 1-1.5K I can buy my own hamper!  

[CeePee1952]

36 minutes ago, tim said:

I'm not sure we want we want broad hire companies to behave like airlines!

However, all I said was it didn't sit well with me, I'm sure HW will get by without my custom, everyone has a choice and mine is a small independent, I get the pick up time I want and with a saving of 1-1.5K I can buy my own hamper!  

Hi Tim,  I completely understand and respect your views regarding the choice of boatyards.  I'm a bit confused though about the 1-1.5K saving that you've quoted?  Just had look at the quoted price for Pacific Star for September and we've only paid a couple of hundred more for Sovereign Light??

Chris

[750XL]

2 hours ago, tim said:

I'm not sure we want we want broad hire companies to behave like airlines!

However, all I said was it didn't sit well with me, I'm sure HW will get by without my custom, everyone has a choice and mine is a small independent, I get the pick up time I want and with a saving of 1-1.5K I can buy my own hamper!  

We paid less than £1000 'all in' for 11 nights with HW on an 'elite' boat. Cheaper than Pacific Cruisers in our case 

[chrisdobson45]

Our experience before this year was that BB had always managed to get us away at about 2.30pm. We’d park up in Roy’s car park and give the boatyard a call just after noon, to see when the boat could be ready. 
 

This year was “different”, the cleaning staff had been pinged and the yard was chaos for most of the afternoon and not much got out before 4pm…

[Broads01]

3 hours ago, chrisdobson45 said:

the yard was chaos for most of the afternoon and not much got out before 4pm…

That was also my experience at NBD in late May. They were a complete shambles with cleaners still on board well after 4pm we didn't get aboard until 4-30, a good hour later than the very latest I'd experienced elsewhere. Bridgecraft last month were a delight by comparison being well organised and with set takeover times agreed in advance.

[andyg]

Most yards are struggling for cleaners this season, I've seen adverts on all yards social media pages looking for cleaner's. So I guess this is going to impact takeover times. Frustrating if your in a rush to get away. I think I'm right in saying contractually, yards are obliged to have your boats ready from 4pm on a week's hire and 2pm for short breaks. The early takeover times for platinum or elite boats is just a marketing gimmick in my opinion so doesn't bother me. But like has been said so many things can impact the turnaround of a boat and problems won't be discovered until the boat is returned on that morning. I've know and seen a boat returned to royalls on a busy Saturday morning with substantial damage to the stern. The Skipper didn't think he had to report it or pre warn the yard. So they had about six hours to repair the damage and get the boat cleaned and ready to go again. No easy task with a small workforce and their own high standards. Apparently temporary repairs were Carried out and she went out again that afternoon. I guess this happens on all yards week in week out. 

[grendel]

I have experienced this at Marthams, though the circumstances were slightly different, Marthams yard staff do all the cleaning and preparation, and as they only have a small fleet and stagger the turnovers they manage well. One trip I was asked to wait while they did an extra deep clean as the previous hirer had had a dog and left wet doggy smells behind, - not a problem, they kept me well informed. the other time it was a case of they had rushed to get the boat launched for my arrival, as I was the first to hire out Jayne 2, Jayne 1 had been taken out of service and they had completely rebuilt the topsides of the spare Jayne hull they had, to get her in service, All I had to do was wait until thy had fitted minor essentials like the front windows, curtain wires, toilet roll holders etc,  the catalogue photos were taken just moments before I boardedthe boat went in 2 hours before I took her out,  I had a short snagging list on my return, simple things, like a nut falling off the alternator mounting bolt (temporarily replaced with a cable tie by me), but I had communicated the gist of the list to their bridge pilot and when I arrived at the yard the team were waiting ready to leap into action.

on another occasion a cupboard door decided to part company with the strip inside the hinges mounted to, this was once again reported as I came back under potter heigham bridge, upon arrival at the yard, within 10 minutes the door and hinges had been removed and whisked back to the workshops for repair (regluing) a very slick operation indeed.